Nutt takes issue with prediction

At the beginning of his press conference following Saturday's 29-24 loss to No. 10 Arkansas, Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt took issue with what RebelGrove.com's Neal McCready had written earlier in the week.

"One of my freshmen told me that Neal McCready wrote that we're going to get beat 49-10," Nutt said. "Wasn't no 49-10. It was real effort and a real attitude out there by some guys out there against the No. 9 (BCS) team in America. That's what I'm trying to do, to keep these guys in a real effort and attitude of don't ever give up and don't quit. Fight no matter what people say. No matter what they say because, see, they don't know. They're not the expert. They don't have to commit and go through what you go through."

Nutt was referring to a weekly picks column McCready writes, in which he predicts the outcome of SEC games.

Frosh Bennett makes 2 big plays

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Bryon Bennett made two key tackles during the first quarter, giving Ole Miss the ball back.

Arkansas ran the ball inside on third and fourth down from the Ole Miss 49, needing 1 yard for the first down. Bennett made both tackles.

"It was just off the call," Bennett said. "I was going to be a three-technique and we were going to slant and try to come together in the middle to push them back. I just did my job and got in the backfield to make plays."

Ole Miss got the ball and went down and scored to make it 10-0.

Johnson's impact

C.J. Johnson was one of the centerpieces of Ole Miss' 2011 recruiting class, a potential superstar in the making from Philadelphia.

But Johnson moved from middle linebacker to defensive end partway through the season. He got more playing time this week as a result of the season-ending injury to starter Wayne Dorsey, and Johnson responded with his first sack.

Said Johnson: "We're just continuing to go to practice and putting the best 11 guys on the field that are stepping up."

Mackey's career day

Quarterback Randall Mackey had a career-best day in several categories for Ole Miss.

He was 18-of-30 passing for 219 yards and two touchdowns. The passing yards were a career high.

He also ran for 30 yards and his first career touchdown. The three total touchdowns were the best Mackey has done this season, his first on the field for Ole Miss. Saturday was his third start.

Quick hits

Attendance was announced at 57,951, the fifth straight home game Ole Miss has been over 55,000. ... Damien Jackson had a season-high 11 tackles, seven of them solo stops. Jackson also served as a team captain. ... Bryson Rose's 43-yard field goal was a career best.